59: Chapter 59 An Unexpected Encounter with the Angel Caravan!

The morning wind, carrying the scent of scorched earth, swept into the camp. Chen Wuwang stood on the high platform of the Council Hall, his gaze following the winding path outside the main gate into the distance.

A group of figures was slowly approaching, clad in white robes and bearing star chart emblems. Their pace was steady and unhurried, as if they were arriving for a long-standing appointment.

He didn't move, nor did he call for anyone.

His fingers habitually tapped against the hilt of his dagger, one beat after another, as if keeping a certain rhythm.

But when he saw that star chart emblem, he suddenly stopped. His fingertips slid gently over the spine of the blade as he relaxed his grip.

Not an enemy.

But not a friend either.

"Pass the order," he spoke, his voice not loud but penetrating the entire front courtyard. "Prepare the honor guard. Form up at the gate within ten breaths."

The messenger was stunned for a moment before frantically pulling out a jade talisman to send the signal.

The battle from earlier had only just concluded. The clansmen were still counting the wreckage and repairing the Spirit Arrays. No one expected that right after suppressing the Seventy-Two Clans, a visitor would arrive.

And it was the Angel Race.

Even more coincidental—it was Aelia leading the team.

Chen Wuwang took a deep breath and stepped down from the high platform. His combat boots made a dull thud as they struck the bluestone slabs.

Reaching the corridor, he bent down and personally removed his combat boots, which were stained with ash and blood, and took a pair of black cloud-patterned shoes from an attendant to change into.

He then unfastened his shoulder armor, leaving only his inner combat suit and bracers, and threw on an ink-colored long robe pinned at the collar with a bronze buckle bearing the Chen family's ancestral pattern.

His Mechanical Prosthetic Eye remained active, emitting a faint cold light. He did not remove the dagger at his waist either.

When he walked out of the Council Hall, the clansmen had already lined up in two rows, holding ceremonial banners with tense expressions.

Someone peeked up at him, and seeing the Family Head personally coming out to greet them, their heart skipped a beat—this visitor must be someone important.

The caravan was still thirty zhang away from the gate.

Chen Wuwang stepped forward and stood at the very front. Behind him, the clansmen stepped forward in unison, their movements so synchronized that the ground vibrated slightly.

The other party stopped as well.

The leading woman stepped out slowly, her white robe fluttering gently in the wind. The star chart emblem on her chest shimmered with fine silver light in the morning sun.

She had exquisite features and a smiling face, her steps as elegant as if she were walking on clouds.

Yet, in the moment she approached, her peripheral vision had already swept over the mecha shadows on the camp walls, the cannon bases at the edge of the drill ground that hadn't been cleared away yet, and the spirit energy conduit atop the distant workshop emitting a pillar of pale blue smoke.

She saw it.

She saw everything.

"Distinguished guests coming from afar, it is the Chen family's honor," Chen Wuwang said, cupping his hands in a steady, neither humble nor arrogant tone.

"I have long heard of the Chen family's spirit of reform. Seeing it today, it is indeed extraordinary," Aelia replied with a hand to her chest, her smile gentle and her voice like a clear spring hitting stones. "Especially these 'Iron Beasts' all over the camp—did they perhaps intimidate the surroundings last night?"

There was more to her words than met the ear.

The corner of Chen Wuwang's mouth curled slightly as he replied calmly, "Just some crude techniques to barely protect the clan. On the other hand, you've crossed mountains and borders; weren't you afraid of encountering bandits?"

"I was," she chuckled. "But it was worth it. After all, the place in the Eastern Desolation one should visit most right now is your Chen family."

The two walked side by side into the camp.

Along the way, the clansmen stood in solemn silence with their heads bowed. A child hid behind his mother to peek, whispering, "Is that woman a Fairy?" only to have his mouth covered by an adult.

Chen Wuwang heard it but didn't look back, only saying, "We don't have Fairies here, only living people and those who want to live."

Aelia glanced at him sideways. "You are quite practical."

"I live too practically," he said flatly. "Empty words can't sustain us for even three days."

As they spoke, they reached the drill ground.

It was originally a training ground, and just last night it was covered in broken mechas and scorched Formation Flags. Now it had been quickly cleared, with several long tables set up in the center, covered in coarse linen and laid with ceramic bowls and cups.

Though simple, it was orderly.

"It's a temporary setup, please forgive the lack of hospitality," Chen Wuwang reached out to invite her to sit. "The war just ended, so the food and wine were put together on short notice."

"The strong need no elaborate decorations." Aelia sat down, picked up a cup of Spirit Grain Brew, and took a sniff. "The spirit of your noble clan lies precisely in this."

They both took a sip.

The wine was strong, burning the throat upon entry with a long-lasting aftertaste. She narrowed her eyes and smiled. "It's even rougher than I thought."

"Rough people live longer." Chen Wuwang set down his cup and signaled the clansmen to continue serving food. "Look over there—roasted Split-tooth Pig, using Yao Beast meat salvaged after yesterday's battle; this plate of Spirit Grain rice comes from the fields we planted ourselves. No celestial dew or thousand-year spirit fruits here."

"But one can eat with peace of mind." She picked up a piece of meat and chewed it carefully. "In some places, the table is full of delicacies, but it makes one nervous, fearing that any bite might be poisoned."

"You're on guard against people too?"

"It's not people I'm on guard against." She looked up, her smile unfading. "It's the human heart."

As those words landed, both fell silent for a moment.

Clansmen moved back and forth serving dishes, their steps light. The tension on their faces gradually faded, replaced by curiosity.

They had never seen the Angel Race, let alone a foreign leader who could talk and laugh so freely.

Someone whispered, "Is she after something of ours?"

"Why is the Family Head being so polite to her?"

Chen Wuwang heard them but ignored it.

He just watched Aelia—how she ate, how she raised her cup, how she casually scanned the architectural layout between laughs, and how her fingertips paused slightly when the word "workshop" was mentioned.

She was probing.

He understood.

So he took the initiative to speak, "I heard your caravan often travels through the heavens. Have you seen many wonders?"

"I've traveled through three hundred and twenty-seven Star Domains," she nodded. "I've seen cities of lava floating in the Void Realm, and a Corpse Emperor who has lived for ten thousand years sitting on a frozen throne. But what interests me most... is a rise from nothing."

Her gaze fell on his face.

"Like you."

Chen Wuwang smiled and raised his wine cup. "Then you've come to the right place today. We rise from nothing here every single day."

"Oh?" She arched an eyebrow. "For example?"

"For example, the Eastern Desolation, which was just a pile of loose sand yesterday, has become a solid block of iron today."

His tone was flat, as if talking about the weather. "For example, those pieces of scrap metal lying on the ground will become new mechas tomorrow."

She didn't respond, only slowly took a sip of wine.

The wind blew across the drill ground, lifting a corner of the tablecloth. The smoke from the distant workshop continued to rise, straight and steady.

"Your Spirit Energy System is very special," she suddenly said. "It's not like a traditional Spirit Gathering Array; it's more like... a machine operating according to certain laws."

"What do you think it's like?" he asked back.

"Like a heartbeat," she said. "It has rhythm, pulsation, and can even... be programmed."

Chen Wuwang looked at her, neither denying nor admitting it.

He just lightly tapped the table—three short, one long.

A second later, a very faint hum came from the direction of the workshop, sounding like a response.

Her pupils contracted slightly, then she smiled. "Interesting."

"What's even more interesting," he leaned forward, his voice lowering, "is that you could have taken a detour, yet you chose to come at this exact time. Is it a coincidence? Or... did you know all along that we would win?"

She remained unruffled and leaned in as well. "What if I said I came to witness the birth of a 'New Order'?"

"Then I must ask—" He stared into her eyes. "Are you here to witness it, or to get a piece of the pie?"

She laughed, this time more deeply, with fine lines appearing at the corners of her eyes. "What do you think?"

They locked eyes, neither backing down.

A moment later, Chen Wuwang leaned back and raised his wine cup. "No matter what you're here for, since you've come, you're a guest. The meal isn't over yet, so let's not be in a hurry to talk business."

"I'm not in a hurry," she raised her cup as well. "I'm best at waiting."

The wine cups clinked with a crisp sound.

Laughter rang out again, sounding more natural than before.

The clansmen breathed a sigh of relief and began to talk in low voices. A few young people even dared to steal a few more glances at that "White-Robed Fairy."

Chen Wuwang took a bite of food and chewed, but his gaze never left Aelia's hand—the hand that had quietly touched the inscription marks under the seat before they sat down.

He knew what she was checking.

He also knew that this banquet was merely the beginning of another gambit.

But for now—

The wine was warm, the conversation was lively, and the wind was blowing.

He sat in the host's seat, she sat in the primary guest's seat; there was wine in their cups and no swords on the table.

Everything was just beginning.